The prior art is documented with examples of forming and shaping assemblies, such as in use with extruded or other pre-formed parts. A first example of this is depicted in Lee US 2013/0255349 which teaches a bending press system including at least one guide post. A slide plate is mounted at a slider so as to be slidable upwardly or downwardly along the guide post. A bending die including a lower die having an upper surface and an upper die having a lower surface corresponding to the upper surface of the lower die and mounted on a lower surface of the slide plate, and adapted to bend an object supplied between the lower die and the upper die to have a predetermined curvature; and a pair of clamping means mounted respectively at both sides of the bending die corresponding to the bending die and adapted to clamp both end portions of the object.
Riley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,023, teaches an apparatus and method for forming curved extruded products and which includes an extrusion apparatus, a method of making a curved extrusion, and a curved extrusion made by the method. The apparatus includes an extruder adapted to produce an extruded material having a cross-section. A plurality of guide members are arranged so as to form a curvilinear path through which the extrusion is passed, each of the guide members having an aperture having substantially the same shape as the cross-section of the extrusion. The plurality of guide members are adapted to form the extrusion into a curved shape, while maintaining the cross-section of the extrusion. A mechanical means is adapted to conduct the extrusion through the plurality of guide members, such as an extrusion puller.
Del Fabro, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,292, teaches an assembly for bending bundles or rods in a position normal to a supporting bench and in four directions so as to produce any desired closed figure. Retaining means including grippers are provided and move vertically in guides for retracting downwards and which are included upstream and downstream of the bending assembly on substantially the same axis as the bundle of rods.
Ohlberg, U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,830, teaches a method for extruding curved extruded profiles. The extruded profile is formed in a matrix mounted upstream in a counter beam of an extruder system and is subsequently curved or bent due to the effect of external forces and separated, supported and arranged into partial lengths in the extrusion flow by means of a separating robot connected to a higher control mechanism and is discharged to a storage area with the aid of a handling robot. The handling robot is coupled to the separating robot by means of the control mechanism and, like the separating robot, is moved into a starting position in front of the extrusion press.
Other references of note include the method and device for forming a curved extruded article of Jakoby, US 2004/0201126, as well as the heat formed thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) co-extruded header trim of Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,118. Other additional references include each of the apparatus for making curved plastic shapes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,113, the roof molding for an automobile of Sugiura, U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,602 and the handling system for curved extrusions of EP 0 430 409.